Byrrhidium, OvaLe Harold, 1869

Deschodt, Christian M. & Davis, Adrian L. V., 2017, Transfer of three species of Namakwanus Scholtz & Howden to Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz or to Namaphilus gen. nov., with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Annals of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History 7 (7), pp. 109-114 : 112-113

NEW KEY TO THE GENERA AND SPECIES IN THE BYRRHIDIUM GROUP (adapted from Deschodt et al., 2016)

1 Foretibiawiththreeexternal denticles..... 2

— Foretibiawithtwoexternaldenticles ...... 8

2 Habitus relatively large, longer than 10 mm and elongate Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis dScholtz ......................... 3

— Habitus smaller than 10 mm long and convex ................................ 4

3 Mesometasternal suture curving forward; punctures on prosternum large; Erongo Mountain .... V.erongoense Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz

— Mesometasternal suture straight; punctures on prosternum small; Tsondab Mountain ........................ V.streyi (Frolov)

4 Clypeal horns as long as, or longer than, distance between them ....... Namakwanus Scholtz & Howden … 5

— Clypeal horns shorter than distance between them .. Namaphilus gen. nov. Deschodt & Davis … 6

5 Space between clypeal horns about one and a half times more at base than the width of a single horn at apex; clypeal horns not upturned and slightly pointing inward at the apex; Windhoek area ................ N. iriSsi Scholtz & Howden

— Spacebetween clypealhornsabouttwotimes greater at base than the width of a single horn at apex; clypeal horns more upturned and slightly pointing inward at the apex; Gobabebarea ........ N. scholtzi spec. nov.

6 Area between clypeal teeth somewhat arcuate .......... N. ameibensis spec. nov.

— Areabetweenclypealteethstraight ...... 7

7 Tips of parameres with two notches in frontal view; Naukluft Mountains to the south of the Tsondab River canyon .... N. endroedyi (Deschodt,Davis & Scholtz)

— Tips of parameres without notches in frontal view; HardapDam .... N. davisi (Deschodt & Scholtz)

8 Clypeus clearly bidentate with clypealhorns long ...... Dicranocara Frolov & Scholtz … 9

— Clypeus quadridentate, with short medial clypealhorns ....................... 12

9 Aedeagus without lateral horns on parameres ............................. 10

— Aedeagus with lateral horns on parameres .................................. 11

10 Apex of parameresbulky; northern Richtersveld...... D. inexpectata Deschodt & Scholtz

— Apex of parameres slender; southern Richtersveld, Boom River ............. D. deschodti Frolov & Scholtz

11 Side horns on aedeagus extending somewhat sideways, tip curved downwards; Richtersveld National Park in South Africa .......... D. tatasensis Deschodt & Scholtz

— Side horns on aedeagus slightly forward, tip not curved downwards; Fish River Canyon ......... D. vandersmisseni Moretto

12 Clypealhorns short, mesometasternal suture not well defined; south of Orange River ............. Byrrhidium Harold … 13

— Clypealhorns of medium length, mesometasternal suture well defined; north of Orange River ...... Drogo stalsi Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz

13 Aedeagus with side protrusions, fore tibia with outer teeth parallel; Richtersveld in South Africa ........... B. convexum Scholtz & Howden

— Aedeagus plain with no side protrusions, fore tibia with outer teeth diverging; Namaqualand.................. B. ovale Harold

NOTES ON THE CURRENTLY KNOWN SPECIES IN THE BYRRHIDIUM GROUP

The Byrrhidium group is confined to the arid west of Namibia and South Africa ( Fig. 2 ). It currently consists of six genera and 14 described species. These species (Deschodt et al., 2007, 2011, 2016) may mostly be associated with dung middens of rock hyraxes ( Procavia capensis ( Pallas, 1766 )). As there are gaps in the known range of this group relative to that of rock hyraxes ( Fig. 2 ), new related dung beetle species and genera may await discovery.

Figures

Fig. 2 Map showing the collecting localities of all the known species of the Byrrhidium group.The black outline indicates the distribution of rock hyraxes (shapefile supplied by IUCN). See online version for map in colour.